Electric distribution.



J. L. CREVELING.

ELECTRIC DISTRIBUTION.

APPLICATION FILED APR.16,1909.

8140211 for,

Patented Sept. 28, 1909.

UNITED STATES PATENT oEEIcE.

JOHN L. CBEVELING, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO SAFETY CAR HEATINGAND LIGHTING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

ELECTRIC DISTRIBUTION.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 28, 1909.

Application filed April 16, 1909. Serial No. 490,368.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN L. GREVELING, a citizen of the United States,residirifg in the city, county, and State of New ork, have invented acertain new and useful Improvement in Electric Distribution, of whichthe following is a specification, reference be ing had to the drawingforming a part thereof.

My invention pertains to that class of electric distribution in whichthe current supply is subject to variations in voltage, while the lampsor other translating devices in operative connection with the system aredesired to be held at a practically constant voltage, regardless of thevariations above mentioned. i

My invention has for its particular object to provide means whereby agenerator, driven at variable speed or for other reasons having asomewhat variabkoutput, may be used in connection with a storage batteryfor supplying current to lamps or other translating devices upon whichit is desired to impress a uniform voltage throughout variations in thevoltage of the generator.

In the drawing Figure I representsa diagrammatic View of one type ofsystem employing my invention. Fig. II represents a diagrammatic view ofa slightly modified form of a portion of. the system shown in Fig. I.

In the drawing, (1) represents any suitable type of dynamo or generatoradapted to furnish current for the system. From one brush of thegenerator, the lead (2) is carried to one side of the storage battery(3) and to one side of'the lamps or other translating devices indicated,in their respective groups, by (4) (5) and (6). From the other brush ofthe generator, the lead (7) is carried to the switch (8), thence to oneside of the storage battery (3) and to the point (9) ,where it branchesinto a plurality of resistances indicated by (10), (11) and (12). Theresistance (10) is connected with the switch (13), adapted when closed,to

throw the resistance (10) in connection with the wire (14), communcatingwith one side of the lamps or other translating devices (4), and thewire (15). The resistance (11) is connected with the switch (16),closing of which connects the same with the wire (17), conununicat-ingwith one side of the lamps or translating devices (5), and, the

wire (18). The resistance (12) is connected with the switch (19) which,when closed, connects the same withthe Wire (20) communicating with onesideof the lamps or translating devices (6), and the wire (21). Thewires (15), (18) and (21) all lead to the wire (22), in series withwhich is placed the resistance device (23), in this instance indicatedas of the ordinary carbon disk variety for sake of clearness, the otherside of which, the wire (24) connects with the point (9). Thus it willbe seen that if any of the switches (13), (16) or (19) be closed,-

one of the resistances (10), (11) or (12) will be in circuit with thetranslating devices controlled by the switch which is closed, also thatthe resistance device (23) will be in shunt to whichever resistance iscut in circuit with its translation devices by closing of its switch.

Any suitable means may be used for operating the resistance device (23)and, for sake of simplicity in the diagram, I have shown a solenoid(25), provided with a core (26) operating the lever (27) against theaction of the spring (28), adjustment of which may be'varied as by thescrew (29), in such manner that motion given to the" its pivot (32) soasto increase or diminish the resistance of the device (23). Thesolenoid (25) may be connected across the battery as shown by wires.(30)and (31) in Fig. I or may be thrown across the translation circuit byconnecting the wire (31) with the wire (22) as shown in Fig. II.

The practical operation of my improvement in electric distribution, in asystem as indicated in the accompanying drawing, (see Fig. I) issubstantially as follows; starting with the generator at rest and thevarious instrumentalities in the respective positions shown in thedrawing. If the generator be brought up to the required voltage, theswitch (8) may then be closed and current will flow from the generator,through lead (2), to the storage battery and back to the generator,serving to charge the battery so that the same will be useful when thelamps or any other form of load is thrown upon the system. Current willalso flow through the wire (30), solenoid '(25) and wire (31) so as totend to increase: the resistance (23) to correspond with any increase involtageacross the battery (3), above the normal. If the switch (13) beclosed, current will flow from main (2), through the lamps or othertranslating devices (4), through wire (14:) to the switch (13), where itwill branch and part pass through the resistance (10), to point (9), andpart through wire (15), wire (22) resistance (23) and wire (24), topoint (9) and thence through switch (8) and wire (7) to the generator.Thus, it will be plain that Variation in the resistance (23) may becaused, by operation of the solenoid (25), to compensate for a rise inVoltage across the battery and hold the voltage constant acrossthetranslating devices (4), provided the shunt resistance (10) beproperly chosen and the solenoid (25), spring (28) and resistance (23)be properly designed and adjusted. Now, if the switch (16) be closed,the lamps (5) will be thrown in circuit and then current willflowthrough the wires (17), switch (16), resistance (11), to lead (7),also from switch (16) through wire (18), through wire (22), resistance(23), and wire (24;) to the lead (7), and the solenoid (25) will governthe resistance (23) operating to control the voltage on both groups oftranslating devices (4) and (5). If the lamps or translating devices (6)be thrown in, as by closing switch (19), current will then flow fromthese trans lating devices through wire (20), switch (19) and resistance(12) to lead (7) and from switch (19) through wire (21), wire (22) andresistance (23), to the lead (7), in such manner that now the solenoid(25), by varying the resistance (23), will govern the voltage upon thethree translation circuits.

In practical operation I prefer usually, to make the resistances orshunts (10), (11) and (12) slightly greater than the maximum resistancethat will ordinarily be required in series with the variousgroups oftranslating devices to compensate for any rise in voltage apt to occuracross the battery. With thls arrangement, very little current iscarried through the resistance device (23), except at such times as theresistance of the same is very low, and then there is very littledifference of potential across this resistance and very little heat tobe dissipated and, it will be obvious that, as each group of translatingdevices is thrown upon the circuit, a shunt is automatically thrownaround the regulating resistance (23) in such manner that the saidresistance (23) does not have to carry the entire current on thetranslation circuit, nor does it have to have the wide range in carryingcapacity that would be required if there were only a single shunt acrossthe resistance (23) which did not vary with the load as the same isthrown on and off. Further it will be obvious that, if one group oftranslating devices be thrown on and the regulator has adjusted theresistance (23) for the prevailing sistance.

voltage across the battery and, if then another group of translatingdevices is thrown on with its respective shunt properly proportioned,very little change in resistance will have to be made in the device (23)to compensate for this extra load having been thrown on, inas1nuch asthis load is largely takencare of by the shunt thrown across theregulating resistance at the same time the load is thrown on. 4

Having thus described my invention what I desire to protect by LettersPatent is as set forth in the following claims, to wit 1. Thecombination with a source of current supply, a plurality of translationcircuits and means for regulating the voltage upon said translationcircuits, of means for diverting a art of the current in the translationcircuits around said voltage regulating means and means for varying thecurrent thus diverted, depending upon the number of translation circuitsin use.

2. The combination with a source of current supply, a plurality oftranslation circuits and resistances placed in said translationcircuits, of means for regulating the voltage upon the translationcircuits, comprising. a variable resistance in shunt to such of theabove mentioned resistances as are carrying current in said translationcircuits.

3. The combination with a source of current supply, a plurality oftranslation circuits and means for regulating the voltage upon saidtranslation circuits, of a variable shunt, around said volta eregulating means, the resistance of which epends upon the number oftranslation circuits in operation.

4:. The combination with a source of current supply, a plurality oftranslation devices divided into groups, automatic means for regulatingthe voltage upon said translating devices, comprising voltage regulatingmeans having in shunt therewith a resistance, varyin with the number ofgroups of translating evices in circuit.

5. The combination with a dynamo or generator, a storage battery andlamps or other translating devices divided into groups, of means formaintaining the voltage u on the translating devices constant throughoutcertain changes in the voltage of the generator, comprising means forinserting resistance in the translation circuits and automatic means forvarying a resistance in shunt to the above mentioned re- 6. Thecombination with a generator, a storage battery and a plurality ofresistances in connection with a plurality of translation circuits, of ashuntaround said resistances and automatic means for varying theresistance of said shunt.

7. The combination with a generator, a

storage battery and a plurality of translation circuits, and means forinserting'predetermined resistances in the said translation circuits ofa shunt around such resistances as are inserted and automatic means forvarying the resistance of said shunt.

8. The combination with a generator, :1 storage battery and a pluralityof translation circuits, and a variable resistance in circuit with thesaid translation circuits of a 10' respective translation circuits.

JOHN L. CREVELING. Witnesses JOHN T. CLARK, C. J. STOCKLEY.

